cul·ture
/ˈkəlCHər/
The characteristics and knowledge
of a particular group of people,
encompassing language, religion,
cuisine, social habits, music and arts.
no·mads
/ˈnōˌmads/
People who do not stay long in the
same place; wanderers, travelers.
Currently in Brisbane, Australia
Total Miles Traveled: 20,163
cul·ture
/ˈkəlCHər/
The characteristics and knowledge of a particular group of people, encompassing language, religion, cuisine, social habits, music and arts.
no·mads
/ˈnōˌmads/
People who do not stay long in the same place; wanderers, travelers.
Currently in Brisbane, Australia
Total Miles Traveled: 20,163
This book follows our family’s year-long travel journey during the height of the global COVID pandemic. In July 2020, we collectively decided to reject the status quo and created the space to completely re-imagine our lives. We sold our home in Virginia along with most of our belongings and hit the road in search of more joy, peace, health and well-being. Over the next 12 months, we traveled over 32,000 km (20,000 miles), visited 26 U.S. states, 11 National Parks, five countries, spent three months living on a beach in Mexico and four months living on a sailboat in French Polynesia. We finished our journey with an intrepid, 7,000-kilometer (4,350-mile) crossing of the South Pacific Ocean from Bora Bora to our new home in Brisbane, Australia. We emerged with more clarity and joy than we could ever have anticipated.
The purpose of this book is to inspire parents, busy professionals, young people, and anyone seeking more from their lives, to re-evaluate how they live and how they view their place in the world in order to create more healthy, fulfilled, and happy lives.
The 520-page book includes over 1,750 full-color images. This creates a visually compelling, easily-digestible reading experience that can be described as an extension of an Instagram or Facebook post. Furthermore, most chapters open with a QR code that takes you to a website containing relevant videos and photos that not only help immerse you into the story, but also evoke a sense of inspiration. This unique approach creates an enhanced, multidimensional reading experience.
Welcome to Our Family Travel Blog
Welcome
Welcome to Our Family Travel Blog
Welcome
Travel with us:
Culture Nomads on Travel + Leisure’s Podcast
Culture Nomads on Travel + Leisure’s “Let’s Go Together” podcast
I heard about your incredible adventure on the podcast and have since done a deep dive on your Instagram. What you are doing is simply inspiring!!
Pre-covid we took our kids (7 & 9) to NZ and Australia for 6 weeks but I have long dreamed of doing what you are. I wonder if I shoud wait till our kids are in their teens though :).
I will continue to follow your travels but just wanted to say: stranger to another stranger: I believe the gift you are giving your kids right now is the absoute best gift of all. And you inspire me…so thank you!
Crossing the South Pacific: Sailing Tahiti to Australia
Sailing Tahiti to Australia | Leg 4: Fiji to Brisbane: A 13-Day Passage
Sailing Tahiti to Australia | Leg 3 | Bora Bora to Fiji: A 15-Day Passage
Happy Birthday to My Greatest Adventure Partner!
Grant’s built homes, companies, and communities, but the most beautiful thing he’s built is the life we’ve gotten to share for more than 21 years now. It’s a life grounded in love, kindness, and deep gratitude for our family and all the experiences we get to have together, thanks to him.
I love Grant’s integrity, purpose, passion, and his heart-centered generosity of spirit — whether he’s working on visionary wellness communities or transforming an abandoned shack into our next family home.
Right now, I’m so grateful for Grant’s support during the hardest health challenge of my life, whether it be helping me walk down the stairs, dressing me, driving me to endless appointments, or reminding me of my own strength when things get scary. He holds space for all of who I am, supporting the choices I make for my healing, and supporting my dreams with unwavering belief in me, in sickness and in health.
At the same time, Grant is the best dad to Jack and Ellie. Watching him with them, celebrating their gifts, supporting their journeys, and being their safe harbor is a blessing and a joy. He parents with empathy, kindness, an open mind and endless patience, and show them, every day, what it means to be a man who leads with his heart.
At work, Grant is a force of nature. He inspires positive change, connection, and makes the world better, one project at a time. But beyond his impressive accomplishments, it’s his humility, his servant leadership, and his genuine care for people that truly set him apart. Grant doesn’t just work to improve businesses, he works to improve lives.
He’s taught me that true success is measured not by what we achieve but by how much we care. And Grant cares so much; about his family, his friends, his community, and this planet we all share.
Grantly, thank you for being wild and free, for embracing life’s chaos with open arms, and for loving me and our family unconditionally.
Happy Birthday!
Happy 20th Birthday, Jack!
Today, as you begin your twenties, we want to pause and celebrate the beautiful human you are. Your authenticity is a light, shining through in everything you do. You live your truth with a courage that inspires all of us. Your creativity is captivating, lifting the spirits of those who witness it. We admire your dedication to your own art and your profound connection to music, film and art in all forms.
Your unwavering selflessness, kindness and compassion are strengths that move quietly but profoundly, touching lives in ways you don’t always realize. The warmth and care you extend to others is a true reflection of your being. It’s a gift to watch you uplift those around you, always consciously mindful, always compassionate.
As you continue on your artistic journey, know that we are with you, supporting you always. We believe in your art, unlimited by commercial constraints and free from the mainstream’s narrow definitions of success. Your authentic vision, your voice, and your perspective are important and needed in this world.
Keep following your passions. Keep being you—because who you are is truly a gift to this world. Here’s to more years of creativity, joy, and the pure expression of your true self.
We love you so much, Jack. Happy 20th Birthday!
With all our love and admiration,
Mum & Dad
Our family has embarked on another adventure. This time, instead of sailing across the South Pacific, we’ve taken on an abandoned filthy and dilapidated shack on some beautiful land near Mullumbimby in northern New South Wales, with the goal of making it liveable in 6 weeks.
Our first week has been nothing short of transformative—both for the shack and for us as a family. From wielding crowbars and hammers and dodging snakes, wasps and massive spiders, to celebrating small victories like straightening the foundation (it was only 100 mm off 😱), we’re leaning into the chaos and creativity that comes with building a home together. We are also very much enjoying camping on the land and swimming in two beautiful swimming holes in the Brunswick River that flows around it.
We’re not just building a home; we’re creating a way of life. Our family is deeply committed to reducing our footprint, building sustainably, and living in harmony with the land. This project is about so much more than walls and windows—it’s a chance to align our values with our daily lives, to tread lightly on this beautiful Earth, and to honuor the natural beauty of this incredible community in Mullumbimby.
This video montage captures the mess and hilarity of Week One. There was plenty of dead stuff, dirt, dust, questionable dance moves, some minor “oops” moments, and a sneak peek at how the shack is slowly turning into our dream sanctuary.
We’re so grateful for this opportunity to roll up our sleeves, make our way through the challenges, and create something beautiful—not just a home, but memories that will last a lifetime.
A big thank you to the friends who drove all the way from Brisbane to help, especially the Jorgensen brothers, Darcy and Kelly (and Blinky!🐾).
Check out our first week on the job and drop your best renovation advice in the comments (we need it!).
#sustainableliving #consciousliving #renovation
We are a family of 4 that loves to travel the world. We sold our home in the U.S. and spent 12 months traveling the world in Thelma, our R.V., and Hanavave, our sailboat. We traveled 20,000 miles through 5 countries, 26 U.S. states, visited 11 American National Parks, spent three months living on the beach in Mexico, and sailed across the South Pacific to settle in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
Grant is an Aussie 🇦🇺 Best-Selling Mindful Leadership Author, Speaker and Business Strategist and Jana is a Czech 🇨🇿 born and raised Creative Director and Artist. Our firstborn, Jack, 17, is a photographer, artist, and “The Office” superfan. Our secondborn, Stella (aka Stellie, Ellie, or Bean), 16, is an artist, singer, and animé enthusiast.
Our family cares deeply about the environment and supports the LGBTQIA+ community. 🏳️🌈
We also have Mackie and Paigie, 10-year old Labradoodles, and Phoebe, a 4-year old Great Dane. 🐾
We invite you to travel with us by following our social channels below. ✌️
“Why We Sold Our Home to Live on a Bus and Travel Full-Time”
by Grant & Jana
“Why We Sold Our Home to Live on a Bus and Travel Full-Time”
by Grant & Jana
“How We Stay Safe & Healthy While Traveling Full-Time during COVID-19”
by Grant & Jana
“How We Stay Safe & Healthy While Traveling Full-Time during COVID-19”
by Grant & Jana
“Lessons From the Road | Less is More: Adventure Over Stuff”
by Jana
“Lessons From the Road | Less is More: Adventure Over Stuff”
by Jana
Our Trip
Trip
Our Trip
Trip
About Us
About
About Us
About
Creative Director | Artist | Outdoors
17 | Photography | Art | Music | “The Office” Superfan
16 | Artist | Singer | Animal Lover | Animé
Hanavave
Tour
Hanavave
Tour
About Thelma the Bus
About
About Thelma
About
Thelma was our 2002 Monaco Diplomat RV. We spent almost 8 months traveling the U.S. and Mexico with her between November 2020 and June 2021. She was 40-feet long and had a main living area with a custom built dining section, kitchen section with a fridge, freezer and pantry, two custom built bunks for the kids and a wardrobe with a large cabinet and drawers. The bathroom area was in between the main living area and the back bedroom, which had a queen size bed, large closet and plenty of cabinets and drawers for storage.
Thelma towed Louise, our 2016 Jeep Wrangler. Upon moving on to Hanavave, a catamaran in French Polynesia, we sold Thelma and Louise and they both now live in Washington State.
We will always cherish the memories we made while traveling with Thelma & Louise.
Thelma was our 2002 Monaco Diplomat RV. We spent almost 8 months traveling the U.S. and Mexico with her between November 2020 and June 2021. She was 40-feet long and had a main living area with a custom built dining section, kitchen section with a fridge, freezer and pantry, two custom built bunks for the kids and a wardrobe with a large cabinet and drawers. The bathroom area was in between the main living area and the back bedroom, which had a queen size bed, large closet and plenty of cabinets and drawers for storage.
Thelma towed Louise, our 2016 Jeep Wrangler. Upon moving on to Hanavave, a catamaran in French Polynesia, we sold Thelma and Louise and they both now live in Washington State.
We will always cherish the memories we made while traveling with Thelma & Louise.
Our Travel Blog
Travel
The focus of our blog is not to be a travel guide or a review site. Rather, it is a family diary of our travels accompanied by “Reflections,” which are thought pieces about our experiences.
Thanks for traveling with us! ?✌️
Our Travel Blog
Travel
The focus of our blog is not to be a travel guide or a review site. Rather, it is a family diary of our travels accompanied by “Reflections,” which are thought pieces about our experiences.
Thanks for traveling with us! ?✌️
Travel Diary
Travel
A log of what we get up to, including a photo and video galleries.
Sailing Tahiti to Australia | Leg 4: Fiji to Brisbane Passage
Sailing Tahiti to Australia | Leg 4: Fiji to Brisbane Passage A Long-Awaited Departure After having waited in French Polynesia for two and a half months, we excitedly sailed out of Bora Bora around 7:30 am on Saturday, September 4th. Like the rest of French...
Sailing Tahiti to Australia | Leg 3: Bora Bora to Fiji Passage
After having waited in French Polynesia for two and a half months, we excitedly sailed out of Bora Bora around 7:30 am on Saturday, September 4th. Like the rest of French Polynesia, Bora Bora was in COVID lockdown, and we had spent the last week waiting for our departure paperwork to go through all the requisite bureaucratic channels. This required multiple trips to the local gendarmerie (police station), where Grant quickly befriended the two kind and helpful officers, Alex and Bruno.
Sailing
Sailing
Video episodes of our South Pacific Crossing
Sailing Tahiti to Australia | Leg 4: Fiji to Brisbane Passage
Sailing Tahiti to Australia | Leg 4: Fiji to Brisbane Passage A Long-Awaited Departure After having waited in French Polynesia for two and a half months, we excitedly sailed out of Bora Bora around 7:30 am on Saturday, September 4th. Like the rest of French...
Sailing Tahiti to Australia | Leg 3: Bora Bora to Fiji Passage
After having waited in French Polynesia for two and a half months, we excitedly sailed out of Bora Bora around 7:30 am on Saturday, September 4th. Like the rest of French Polynesia, Bora Bora was in COVID lockdown, and we had spent the last week waiting for our departure paperwork to go through all the requisite bureaucratic channels. This required multiple trips to the local gendarmerie (police station), where Grant quickly befriended the two kind and helpful officers, Alex and Bruno.
Places
Places
These are some of the states we have visited so far. Click here to view all.
BC
Baja, Mexico
UT
Utah
National Parks
Parks
These are some of the National Parks we have visited. Click here to view all.
AZ
Grand Canyon
UT



Our Travel Blog
TRAVEL WITH US!
We are currently sailing the South Pacific to Australia.
Thank you for joining us, have a great day!